You recently came back from recording an EP in California. How was the experience?
The US was amazing. It’s something we’ve always dreamed of doing. We managed to book a studio in an old house that looked over Stinson Beach (just above San Francisco). It was a beautiful and inspiring spot.
How has working overseas with a new producer influenced your sound?
[Working] with a different producer definitely influenced our sound. The main thing was actually the song choice. When we sent him all the demos, the ones he chose were a surprise to us. In the past we probably would have had a totally different EP if he wasn’t around. Another reason we chose him was because he’s such a great mix engineer. The mixes are powerful and clear. We stripped back a lot of the layers and it really felt quite liberating.
What can we expect from the new EP?
Our last EP definitely had a sound and theme to it. With this one we just wanted to put out the five best songs we could, regardless of whether they were cohesive or not. All the songs stand on their own and have their own sound and theme. It’s like a taster menu of the best of what Z&G does.
Will the band be dressing up for Halloween?
Yes we [will], and we’re super excited [about] it. We will definitely be dressing up. In what, [we’re] not sure yet! For the last couple of Halloween shows we’ve dressed up in really impractical outfits which made it hard to play, so this year we need to rectify that: no full body casts! We’ll also be playing a few covers – some spooky s**t!
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